China to stop sourcing transplant organs from prisoners: reports

State media reports say China will stop relying on executed prisoners as a source of transplant organs within two years.

Chinese death row inmates have been a key source of transplant organs for years due to a a chronic shortage of donations coupled with high demand.

But state-run China News Service has quoted vice health minister Huang Jiefu as saying the practice may be ending.

"Chinese organ transplants will completely end their reliance on donations from executed prisoners within two years," he said.

International human rights groups have long accused Chinese authorities of harvesting organs from executed prisoners without their consent or that of their families - allegations the government has denied.

Beijing has made similar pledges to end sourcing organs from prisoners before, but Mr Huang's comments represent the shortest timetable it has offered.

The country was setting up a voluntary donation system, he said, with more than 1,000 organs collected since the first of 38 centres opened two years ago.

China banned trading in human organs in 2007, but demand for transplants far exceeds supply in the country of 1.3 billion people.

Organ donations are not widespread as many Chinese believe they will be reincarnated after death and therefore want to keep a complete body.

An estimated 1.5 million patients need transplants every year but only around 10,000 are carried out, according to official statistics, opening the door to forced donations and the illegal sale of organs.

In 2009 state media quoted a health ministry spokesman saying the rights of death-row inmates were respected and written consent from prisoners was required before their organs could be harvested.

China executed around 4,000 prisoners last year, a 50 percent drop since 2007, according to US-based advocacy group the Duihua foundation.